Railroad-gate



R. D. BLAKELEY.

(No Model.)

RAILROAD GATE.

Patented Aug., 19, 1884.

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ROBERT D. BLAKELEY, OF OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI.

RAILROAD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,612, dated August 19, 1884.

Application filed May 20, 1884. .(No inodeld To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT D. BLAKELEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at OX- ford, in the county of Lafayette and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Gate, of which the following is a specification, refereneebein g had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to railroad-gates, and is designed to prevent stock from passing over the track into the field; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a railroad-gate embodying my improvements. Fig.

2 is a vertical section on the line as 00 in Fig. 1,

and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a modification of the railroad-gate.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A designates a section of railroadtrack over which the gate is built.

i B designates the platform, to which the latching and unlatching mechanism is secured.

The gate frame is composed of the wide posts 0 and O on the sides of the platform, connected by a girder, D,which is sufficiently high to permit a train of cars to pass under it.

The gates E and E are made partly of wood and partly of wire rods F, of sufficient strength to stand the strain put upon the gates while being opened by a passing train, and the shock caused by striking the stops hen closed by the.

springs. The wooden portions G are of planks of a sufficient width to form a broad bearingsurface for attaching the wire rods F securely thereto; The planks G have journals on their upper and lower ends, which have their bearings in the platform and the girder, as shown, near the posts 0 and G. The planks G are perforated latera. ly in double rows or alternating perforations H, and stout small wire is used to lash or securely fasten the wire rods F to the inner faces of the planks by passing the small wire I through the perforations and over the wire rods F in a zigzag course across the planks. The wire rods F are curved inwardly at the middle of the rods, so that when the gates are closed they will diverge from their middles in opposite directions.

Between the posts 0 and G and the outer faces of the planks G G are secured two springs,

secured in place by staples J, which hold the gates normally closed. The springs J are sufficiently strong to prevent stock from pushingthe gates open, should it attempt to pass through, and yet not so strong that the gates may not be opened easily by the locomotive of a passing train. Each gate is also provided with a latch-rod, K, which is secured to the planks G, and extends'forward in front of the latch-posts L L, at opposite sides of the track. The latch-rods K are se cured to the outer faces of the planks G by being hooked around the rear edges, and also S. The objectof the latch'rods K is to engage the catches N and hold the gates, so that the pressure of the springs is counteracted in a measure, so that the wire rods will not scrape the sides of the cars after the locomotive has passed through, and also to hold the gates open at any time when it may be necessary to do so.

Between the latch posts L L, and passing beneath the track, are two spring-catches, M M, securedto the platform, and provided at their curved ends with catches N, which engage the latch rods K when the gates are pushed open by the locomotive, and will hold them open until the metal triggers O O, at the sides of thetrack, are pressed down upon by projecting arms on the rear end of the rear car of the train,when the catches will become disengaged from thelatch-rod and the springs J will close the gates. The trainwill open and close the gates in passing in either direction. Staples S control the latches.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, P P designate two panels, to which the wire rods F are secured in the manner as described for the planks G. The wire rods are connected at the middles and at their outer ends by vertical rods QQL The catches R,in the modification, engage the lower'rails of the gates when the gates are moved out over them, and they are released by the rear car of the train by curved shoes upon the lower ends of depending arms at the rear end of said car. By employing either arrangement of the parts the gates may be operated automatically, as described, and stock will be prevented from entering the fields where the gates are used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and Letters Patent of the United States, is

desire to secure by 1. The combination,withtherailroad-track, with the latch-rods K K, of the springs J J, the platform, and the gate-frame, of the gates spring-catches secured to the platform beneath consisting of the planks G, perforated and the track, and curved up at their ends, and

\ pivoted, as shown, and provided with the the triggers O O, substantially as specified. I

5 Wire rods F, bent at their middles and laced In testimony that I claim the foregoing as to the planks'by Wires, and mechanism, sub- 4 my own I have hereto affixed my signature in stantially as described, for latching and unpresence of two Witnesses.

latching the gates automatieall y, substantially ROBERT D. BLAKELEY. as specified. \Vitnesscs: IO 2. The combinationpvith the platform, gate- E. H. KIMMONS,

frame, latch posts, and the gates provided 1?. E. Marrunws. 

